BMW 223i Active Tourer M Sport packs a grunty 204hp but power isn’t everything – even if it is fun

Photos: BMW, Fabian Kirchbauer, Derryn Wong

Malaga, Spain – Let’s face it, an MPV with more than 200hp is excessive, but the BMW 223i M Sport Active Tourer wears it loud and proud.  

We’ve extensively covered the new 2 Series Active Tourer in our very detailed news story, as well as our drive of the less powerful 220i model in our review.

In a segment rated primarily for how many people you can cram into the box rather than horses into the engine, more power makes less sense. Even big MPVs like the Kia Carnival, Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Alphard have less than the 223i makes (202hp and 179hp respectively).

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But in spite of this day and age, damned if having a nice 2.0-litre turbo inline four in a family car doesn’t raise some smiles at least.

Unlike the 220i’s three-cylinder mill, the 223i has a full four-pot engine, as mentioned above, and it makes 204hp. While we can’t say that’s the same power as a Golf GTI (that has 245hp now) it’s still more than an ostensible family man can use, especially now that it’s assisted by an electric motor with 19hp and 55Nm of torque.

In town, it’s good for quick getaways and tyre chirping fun, but more useful on the highway where that extra 40-plus horses over the 220i means a much easier time of fast commuting and overtaking. Like our 220i Active Tourer test car, the 223i had Adaptive M Suspension equipped, and it delivered sporty ride quality without overt discomfort.

Up in our now familiar Malaga mountain twisties, the 223i was surprisingly less fun to pilot than the 220i – it’s still agile and good handling, overall, but seemed less eager for the turn-in especially at sharper hairpins.

It’s not just a question of what weight, but where it sits : 1,620kg (DIN kerbweight) over the 220i’s 1,595kg, but perhaps that 25kg sits right over the front axle.

All that still has an important point for Singapore. We don’t think the 223i is likely for our market as it’ll be rather expensive and draw a higher road tax, compared to the 1.5-litre 220i, whose mild hybrid system could possibly mean VES help to remain relatively affordable.  

Interestingly, it does seem to indicate that the 218i might be the sweetest handling 2AT, since it’s a good 50kg lighter than even the 220i, thanks to ditching the mild hybrid bits. 

But back to van excess: We’re pretty sure BMW is not crazy enough to make a M240i Active Tourer, but it would be fun to dream about it. In the meantime, the only alternative is this.

BMW 223i Active Tourer M Sport